


Breakdown: The Final Tally

by AnonEhouse



Series: Tiny Tony 'verse [18]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-31
Updated: 2012-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-02 19:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonEhouse/pseuds/AnonEhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony will be twenty one. Tony is trying to accept responsibility. Tony always tries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breakdown: The Final Tally

(If you are reading this on any PAY site this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT Given Permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated too because you can read it on Archiveofourown for FREE.)

"What is this shit, Tony?"

Tony pulls down his sunglasses to peer over the top. "It's a stretch limo, Rhodey."

"I know what it is. Why are you here, in a stretch limo in front of my cadet wing?" Rhodey folds his arms across his chest and scowls. Happy is standing at the rear door of the limo, holding it open. Tony is sitting inside looking out at the bright sunshine and the bright, sunshiny faces of the earnest young men and women in ROTC uniforms doing some sort of sweaty calisthenics. He puts the sunglasses back down.

"It's too bright out there; step into the saloon." The limo has quite a nice wet bar. Tony holds up a glass, ice tinkling in a tempting fashion. "Because really, is it fair to make Happy stand there feeling like you don't like me and maybe he should be defending my honor or something? Happy, listen, Rhodey really does like me. He just gets cranky sometimes."

"I am not _cranky_ , Tony!" Rhodey unfolds his arms and sighs as he gets in the car. Happy shuts the door and returns to the driver's seat, with the privacy partition raised.

"Have a drink?"

"No, I do not want a drink. I want to talk to you."

"I can drink and talk at the same time. Watch!" Tony has a gulp of his drink. "Well, not quite, I haven't figured out how the ventriloquists do that."

"Man, you've been gone for three years, three years! And you kept sending me those damn postcards with no return address, so I couldn't even tell you how big an asshole you are!"

"Well, you know, I was moving around a lot..." Tony gulps the rest of his drink and pours another. "I couldn't..."

"Do not lie to me, and do not get shitfaced before I finish talking, Tony, or I swear I'm getting out of this car."

Tony sighs and puts the glass down to one side. "I'm sorry. Really. I just... I knew you'd give me good advice and I'd ignore it and you'd hate me."

"Oh, man." Rhodey grabs Tony and hugs him. "You are such an idiot."

"So, does this mean you don't hate me?" It's a bit muffled against Rhodey's chest.

"I think you're unhateable, Tony. But you do try really hard." Rhodey pats Tony's back and releases him. "So, have you run out of exciting ways to kill yourself around the world?"

"Oh, hell, no. There's this abandoned, deteriorating path that goes across a mountain... oh, that was a joke. No, really, I'm just here to take you to Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale. Bikinis everywhere! You'll love it."

"And then what, you say goodbye and go back to ... I don't know... trying to prove something? You don't have to prove anything, Tony. You are a good man. Crazy as all hell, but a good man. I'd like you to stick around and aggravate me in person, instead of going to India to be a snake charmer or whatever other stupid thing you're going to do next."

Tony looks at Rhodey. "I'm not... not trying to prove anything. I'm just trying to... be someone. Not my dad's son, not my money, not even my brain, just... me. When I bungee jump from a bridge, it's just... me. And if I die like that, well, worse things have happened. But I'm not actually trying to die. I'm just trying to live."

"Animals just live, Tony. People want to make the world a better place."

"Yeah, well, that'd be nice, but I'm not cut out to be a social worker. All I know how to do is make things that go bang." Tony shrugs. "It doesn't take genius for that. Obadiah's got the company profits up, and expanded it, all without any input from me. I'm not needed here."

"Yes, you are. Obadiah's a businessman, but he doesn't think beyond making money. He doesn't think about the people who have to use the weapons _your_ company sells." Rhodey nods. "Tell you what, you come with me today, and see what I'm talking about, and then I'll go any damn where you want for Spring Break, and make as big a fool of myself as you like."

"Sure, fine!" Tony hits the intercom to the front. "Rhodey is going with us, Happy! He's the boss today!"

Rhodey looks at Tony. "1400 Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway. We're going to the West Roxbury VA hospital."

***

"Hey, guys, this is my friend, Tony Stark," Rhodey says as he enters a large room obviously set aside as a recreational center for wheelchair bound patients. It has tables at wide intervals and a few hard chairs scattered around. "Be nice to him, he's a civilian."

"How nice do we have to be?" one woman asks. "We were going to play strip poker." She has a strap across her waist holding her in place in the chair. Her legs are very thin, and don't lie quite right.

Tony smiles at her. "I like the way you think." He pulls up a chair and turns on the charm. Within five minutes the group is relaxed and laughing at his risqué jokes. Tony and Rhodey stay until lunch is announced.

After they get back into the car, Tony turns to Rhodey. "What was that all about?"

"I just thought you should meet some of the people who rely on Stark equipment."

"Are you trying to guilt trip me? Are you saying they were hurt because Stark sold the government inadequate equipment because I hadn't invented something better?"

"No. You're saying that. I'm just saying, it's your company. I don't know if you could build stuff that would give us an advantage in the field. Maybe you could, but we'll never know so long as you're out there reinventing machismo rather than the things you could actually _share_ with us."

Tony closes his eyes and lets his head fall back against the rich leather upholstery. "Rhodey, I hate you."

"Yeah, I know." Rhodey pats Tony's shoulder. "So, Fort Lauderdale?"

***

Fort Lauderdale is a blast. Rhodey manages to get arrested and Tony gets to bail him out. Tony laughs so hard he nearly hurts himself and doesn't tell Rhodey that he's got a phone number written on his shirt in red lipstick with 'for a good time, call Rhodey' until hours later.

Then Tony spends the rest of the year investigating the inner workings of Stark Industries. It's worse than boring, it's interesting, but interesting in a way that his mind just doesn't want to accept. Why are they having all these pointless meetings with people who know nothing of technology? 

"Obie, do we really have to kiss up to the Board of Directors in order to start this line of research?" Tony is sitting surrounded by reports and invoices and agendas on _paper_ of all things. The souls of murdered trees cry out to him, and he decides he's really going to have to develop an actual paperless office.

"Well, not kiss up, Tony, but you know, the Board's got to have input." Obadiah is sitting on the couch, drinking Scotch and looking as if he owns the place. But then, Obie always looks like that, no matter where he is. "And really, this is boring you to tears, so I don't know why you're bothering with it."

Tony looks up at Obadiah. "Because I'm going to take over, Obie. Next week, when I'm twenty-one, we'll announce it."

"You'd be happier handling R&D, Tony." Obadiah's voice is still soft, but his expression is not particularly happy.

"Yeah." Tony runs a hand through his hair. "And I know it's not fair to you, after all you've done, but... this is my company. The tail's been wagging the dog. We should be developing the things that are needed, not just the ones we can make the biggest immediate profit on."

"If the company doesn't make a profit, we won't be developing anything."

"Trust me, Obie, I have ideas that will definitely be in demand. I don't think you'll have any trouble selling them."

Obadiah nods slowly. "Well, I never regretted partnership with your father and he was a stubborn man. I suppose I can put up with you." He holds his hand out to Tony.

Tony laughs and shakes Obadiah's hand. "I'm glad you're staying on. I couldn't do it without you."

"You won't have to, my boy. I'm in it for the long haul." Obadiah smiles back at Tony.

**Author's Note:**

> Tony will survive! I may or may not ever officially add to this universe, but Tiny Tony is kinda stuck in my brain and will affect any Iron Man fic I write in future. 
> 
> He's rearranged the furniture and set up housekeeping. Hey, get that robot off the couch!


End file.
